Framingham State Professor, Wife Give $2 Million Gift To University

FRAMINGHAM, MA — A professor at Framingham State University has made a donation that officials said will ensure he and his family continue supporting students even after he's gone.

For more than four decades, Professor Thomas Eames has dedicated his career at Framingham State University to helping students navigate the complexities of chemistry, officials said.

Now, Eames and his wife, Joan, have pledged a gift of over $2 million to establish an endowed fund for the College of STEM.

Beginning in Fiscal Year 2027, the endowment will provide approximately $100,000 annually to support students, faculty and academic programs within the college.

Eames currently holds the title of Professor Emeritus in the Department of Chemistry and Food Science. His career at FSU began in 1972, and he retired from full-time teaching in 2000.

In the wake of the gift, Framingham State President Nancy Niemi will ask the Board of Trustees, and the Board of Higher Education to approve a request to rename Hemenway Laboratories as Professor Thomas and Joan Eames Laboratories.

“We are very excited for the impact this level of annual funding will have for our students and faculty in the College of STEM. Renaming the building that houses Professor Eames’ professional home of four decades honors his contributions to the university,” says Dr. Niemi. “Tom and Joan are very excited and honored to have their names permanently etched onto the campus.”

Hemenway Laboratories is a modern science facility completed within the last decade that houses 16 labs serving students studying Biology, Chemistry and Food Science.